Emergency apparatus for ships



June 30,1942. w. P. DICKEIY 2,288,271

EMERGENCY APPARATUS FOR SHIPS Filed June 15. 1940 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 30, 1942. w. E. DICKEY 2,288,271

EMERGENCY APPARATUS FOR SHIPS Filed June 15, 1940 2 Shegts-Sheet 2 Q I R m v (II/11A l s\ $3 awe/Mm w v I 3 W w 4 5% W I Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- 2,288,271 EMERGENCY API'ARATUS Ffon slurs, William P. Dickey, Ada; Okla; Application June 15, 1940, Serial 840,823 7 Claims. (o1. 114-227) This invention relates to an emergency apparatus for ships, and it is a particular object of the invention to provide an apparatus of this kind whereby a breach mat may be readily and quickly placed over a hole or rent in the hull of a ship such as may be created by a torpedo, mine, shell, or as a result of collision.

The invention also has for an object to provide an apparatus of this kind so mounted upon the hull of a ship as to be readily moved along the hull to a selected position and wherein the lowering of the breach mat to overlie the hole or rent in the ship hull may be readily and conveniently regulated from the deck of the ship.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind which, in addition to being used for the application of a breach mat, can also be used for other purposes such as a support for a deck or staging so that when the emergency requires persons can be transported from one end of the ship to the other as well as cargo. v

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind which, when not in use, may be readily maintained in a compacted adjustment and wherein the associated mat may be readily applied into position for lowering.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved emergency apparatus for ships whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in top plan of a ship having applied thereto an apparatus constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention, the superstructure of the ship being omitted;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in front elevation of my improved apparatus as herein embodied with the mat in lowered position and disposed over a hole or rent in the hull of the ship, the ship hull being diagrammatically illustrated in fragment;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure '4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the mat handling structure in an inter mediate position, the fullyraised position of the structure. being indicated by broken lines, the mat being omitted;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of one of the members comprised in the construction of the mat;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating another embodiment of my invention; K

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line .11-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational .view illustrating a mat constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of my invention;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 9.9 of Fig ure 8.

. As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, H denotes the hull of a ship, the samebeing diagrammatically illustrated-in Figure 1. It is to be understood that the present invention is not intended for use in connection with any particular type of marine vessel and,,therefore, the diagrammatic showing in Figure 1 is believed to be sufllcient for the purpose of disclosure.

Each side of the hull H is provided'therealong and, at a desired distance above the water line with the vertically spaced trackways I and 2, the mounting of such trackways, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4,,being suchras to have the same spaced slightly outward from the adjacent side face of the hull H. I wish to state at this time that I do not desire to limit myself to any particular type of trackway.

In the embodiment of my invention as particularlyillustrated in Figures 2, Band 4, the operating structure for the mat; comprises two end members 3 of desired-length-and each of which is provided adjacent its upper end and at the rear thereof with a transversely disposed carriageA which readily rides-upon the upper trackway I and the lower portion of each of these end members 3 is provided with the carriage 5 which rides upon the lower trackway 2. It is to be understood that if required thesecarriages 4 and 5 may be Y provided with suitable anti-friction means to assure the same travelling along the trackways l and 2 with a minimum of frictional resistance.

The upper extremities of the end members 3 are connected by the elongated member 6 provided at its opposite end portions with the bearings I for a shaft 8. This shaft 8 adjacentto its opposite ends has fixed thereto for rotation therewith the drums 9 for a purpose to be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

The shaft 8, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is provided with a hand Wheel It whereby such shaft may be manually rotated as desired. It is to be understood, however, that this shaft 8 may be caused to rotate in any way preferred as by an electric motor or other power driven means. It is to be stated, therefore, that the particular means for rotating the shaft 8 forms no part of the present invention.

The shaft 8 at one end portion has fixed for rotation therewith a ratchet wheel I I with which coacts a conventional pawl or dog l2 suitably supported adjacent to the ratchet Wheel H whereby the shaft 8 is free for rotation in one direction but releasably held against rotation in the opposite direction.

In the present embodiment of my invention, the upper longitudinal marginal portion of the member 6 is formed to provide a barrel l4 through which is freely directed a shaft l5. This shaft 15 is of a length to extend slightly beyond the opposite ends of the barrel I4 and said extended extremities of the shaft I5 are provided with the outwardly and downwardly directed rock arms [6. Each of these arms I6 is telescopically or slidably engaged with a rock arm I! carried by an end portion of a shaft l8. This shaft 18 is interposed between and rotatably supported by the elongated lowering and lifting arms IS. The shaft [8 is surrounded by a sleeve 20 which substantially bridges the space between the arms [9 and thus provides means for maintaining said arms in desired spaced relation.

Each of the arms IT, as herein disclosed, carries a binding or set screw 21 whereby said arm I! and its associated arm 16 may be readily locked in selected adjustment one with respect to the other so that the combined effective length of the arms l6 and I! may be regulated or varied as the circumstances of practice may prefer.

The lower end portions of the end members 3 are provided with the bearing brackets 22 which provide mountings for laterally disposed stub shafts 23 carried by end portions of the rock arms 24. Each of these rock arms 24 is telescopically or slidably engaged with a rock arm 25 carried by the end portion of a second shaft 26 interposed between and rotatably supported by the arms l9 at a desired distance below the shaft [8 hereinbefore referred to. This shaft 26 between the arms I9 is also surrounded by a spacer sleeve 21.

Each pair of associated rock arms 24 and 25 is held in desired selective adjustment one lengthwise With respect to the other by a conventional binding or set screw 28 for the same purpose as hereinbefore stated with respect to the binding or set screw 2|. The assembled arms I6, I! and 24, 25 provide means whereby the arms l9 may be readily swung from an upper position to a lowered position, or vice versa. The lower end portions of the arms l9 have suitably anchored thereto, as at 29, the flexible cables 30 which extend upwardly and wind upon the drums 9 hereinbefore referred to upon rotation of the shaft 8 in one direction. As the cables 39 wind upon the drums 9 the arms 19 are swung upwardly to their uppermost position and which will be closely adjacent to the side of the ship and extending slightly above the gunwale.

The pawl or dog l2 hereinbefore referred to coacts with the ratchet wheel II to hold the shaft 8 against rotation in the reverse direction so that effective means are provided to maintain the arms I9 in their fully raised position or at any other desired height. In Figure 4 of the drawings, the arms l9 are shown held in a position with the arms [6, I! and 24, 25 substantially horizontal. When in this position a staging or deck may be readily mounted upon either the upper or lower arms to provide means whereby passengers or cargo may be transferred from one end of the ship to the other in case of emergency, or such deck or staging can be used for other purposes as for repair, painting or other contingencies.

In the present embodiment of my invention, the bow of the ship is provided with a pair of capstans 3| adapted to be selectively rotated in either direction by any desired mechanism, generally indicated at 32. Each of these capstans has winding thereon a flexible member 33. This member 33 is so guided as to allow one end portion thereof to be connected to one of the end members 3 and the opposite end portion to the second end member 3. Upon desired rotation of the capstans the mat supporting structure as just described may be readily moved to a desired selective position between the stem and stern of the ship.

The arms H] are each provided at spaced points therealong with the openings 34 to provide means whereby the attaching hook or member 35 carried by an end portion of the flexible member or chain 35 may be readily engaged with said arm l9 at such points therealong as the requirements of practice may find necessary. It is to be stated that these openings 34 also provide for a selective adjustment of the shaft I8 as deemed advisable.

Each of the flexible members or chains 96, as herein disclosed, is adapted to be threaded through an outstanding bracket 31 carried by the upper marginal portion of a breach mat M. The end portion of the member or chain 36 threading through this bracket 3'! is also provided with a securing member or book 38 adapted to be selectively engaged with the links of the chain in advance of the bracket 31 and thereby provide a means for adjustably supporting the mat M as may be determined by the exact location of the hole or rent to be breached by the mat when lowered. It is to be pointed out that the member or hook 38 provides a release attachment the advantage of which is that the raising and lowering structure of the mat may be disengaged from the mat if it should be desired to raise such structure and lift the breach mat in applied or working position with respect to the hole or rent.

In practice a series of mats M may be suitably stored upon the deck of a ship or elsewhere as may be preferred as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure l. A mat M can be readily and quickly applied for lowering when the necessary emergency arises. The mat M may be of any size or dimensions preferred and the structure of the mat M, as herein disclosed, is such as to permit the size of the mat to be readily increased or decreased as deemed best advisable.

The mat M, as herein disclosed, comprises a plurality of duplicate cross members C. Each of these members C as particularly illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, is of a channel formation having each end 39 closed. The .end walls 39 and the side walls 49 of the members C have their outer margins defined by the outwardly and laterally disposed flanges 41 and 42 In assembling the mat, the memrespectively. bers C are arranged side by side with the longitudinal flanges 4| of adjacent members overlapping and detachably connected by the bolt and nut fastenings 43 and for which purpose each of the flanges 4| is provided at desired spaced points therealong with the openings 44. It is to be noted, however, as particularly illustrated in Figure 3, that there is interposed between the lapping flanges 4| a gasket or strip 45 of compressible material, such as rubber. This gasket or strip 45 not only serves to make an airtight joint but permits a certain degree of flexibility of the mat thus assuring its proper contact with the outer surface of the hull when the mat is in Working or effective position as 11- lustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. By having the mat M comprising a plurality of duplicate members C, it is to be readily understood that the mat may be made of varying lengths depending upon the number of the members C used. It is also believed to be readily apparent that the width of the mat may be increased by placing adjacent members C end to end and detachably' connecting such members by conventional bolt fastenings or the like and for which purpose the end flanges 42 of each of the members C are provided with the openings 46.

It is also to be pointed out that the marginal portions of the assembled mat M have disposed therealong the strips 4'! also of compressible material, such as rubber, and which are readily held to the mat by the bolt fastening elements 48. These strips 4'! are on the side of the mat M for direct contact with the outer surface of the ship hull or the like which has the hole or rent 49 whereby the mat M has a watertight engagement with said outer surface of the hull.

It is believed to be clearly apparent from the foregoing that the mat M, when the necessity requires, may be readily assembled for the size desired and also quickly applied with the raising and lowering structure therefor when said structure is at its fully raised position. After the mat has been so applied through the medium of the flexible members or chains 36, the pawl I2 is swung into a release position whereby the weight of the mat will allow the same to drop down into the water and the resultant pressure of the water upon the mat will force the mat in desired close contact with the outer surface of the hull of the ship. It is, of course, to be understood that before the mat is permitted to lower the apparatus is adjusted along the trackways and 2 to bring the mat initially in desired position above the hole or rent 49.

In Figures 6 and '7 of the drawings, the trackways carried by the ship hull S have slidably engaged therewith elongated and vertically disposed carriage members 5|, there being one of said members 5| for each of the end members 52 of the raising and lowering structure for the breach mat. Each of these members 52 through the medium of the rearwardly disposed jaws 53 is slidably engaged with its associated member 5| thus providing means whereby the raising and lowering structure may be bodily raised or lowered to different selective positions as the requirements of practice may prefer. The upper portion of the raising and lowering structure has suitably secured thereto a flexible member or cable 54 which leads to a Windlass suitably positioned upon the deck of the ship. This Windlass is of any conventional type and, of course, provides means to permit the ready up and down adjustment of the raising and lowering structure for the mat and for supporting such structure in said selective adjusted position.

In Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, I illustrate a breach mat B constructed in accordance with another embodiment of my invention. In this form of invention the mat B comprises a plurality of cross members A arranged side by side. Each of the members A is channel-shaped in cross section with its ends also closed as hereinbefore stated with respect to the members C of the mat M. One of the side flanges 55 of the member A is reverted, as at 56, to provide an outwardly facing groove or channel 51 extending along one side thereof and in which is adapted to snugly engage or fit the second flange 58 of an adjacent member A. This connection permits the members A to be readily assembled and also connect said members in a manner to assure the desired flexibility of the mat.

Each of the members A has disposed therethrough the side arms 59 of the U-clamps 60. These clamps 60 may be two or more in number and are properly spaced along the member A. These clamps 60 may also be disposed beyond either side of the member A but, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, said clamps extend beyond the face of the member A opposite to the flanges 55 and 58. The arms 59 of the clamps 60 have associated therewith the usual clamping nuts 6| which coact with the adjacent portions of the members A to cause the clamps 60 to tightly hold a connecting cable 62 to the member A. The cable 62 is, of course, of such length as desired and dependent upon the length of mat S to be fabricated.

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the shaft 3 in its central portion is provided with several additional drums or pulleys 63 whereby the shaft 8, if desired, may be used for hoisting such commodities as necessary.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that an emergency apparatus for ships constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In an emergency apparatus for closing a rent in a ship hull, a breach mat comprising a plurality of duplicate members arranged side by side, each of said members being of a channel formation and having a transverse end wall closing the channel at its opposite ends, each of said members having one free longitudinal edge turned to provide a groove opening oppositely to the channel to receive a flange of an adjacent member, and flexible means for holding said members in assembled relation.

2. In an emergency apparatus for closing a rent in a ship hull, a breach mat comprising a plurality of duplicate members arranged side by side, each of said members being of a channel formation and having a transverse end wall closing the channel at its opposite ends, each of said members having one free longitudinal edge turned to provide a groove opening oppositely to the channel to receive a flange of an adjacent member, flexible means for holding said members in assembled relation, said flexible means comprising a plurality of cables extending along the mat, and means carried by each of the members for securing such member to the cables.

3. An emergency apparatus for closing a rent in a ship hull comprising a supporting structure, means for mounting such structure upon and exteriorly of the hull facilitating moving the structure from the bow to the stern of the hull, rock arms connected with the upper portion of such structure for up and down swinging movement on an axis extending substantially longitudinally of the hull, rock arms connected with the lower portion of said structure for up and down movement on an axis paralleling the first mentioned axis, elongated raising and lowering arms operatively connected with said rock arms to be swung, in upright position, around said axes, a breach mat, means for flexibly connecting the breach mat with the raising and lowering arms to be suspended therefrom, and releaseable means for holding the rock arms in an upwardly swung position, said arms and applied mat dropping by gravity upon release of said holding means, and said rock arms being in adjustably connected sections to facilitate longitudinally adjusting said rook arms as to length.

4. An emergency apparatus for closing a rent in a ship hull comprising a supporting structure, means for mounting such structure upon and exteriorly of the hull facilitating moving the structure from the bow to the stern of the hull, rock arms connected with the upper portion of such structure for up and down swinging movement on an axis extending substantially longitudinally of the hull, rock arms connected with the lower portion of said structure for up and down movement on an axis paralleling the first mentioned axis, elongated raising and lowering arms operatively connected with said rock arms to be swung, in upright position, around said axes, a breach mat, means for flexibly connecting the breach mat with the raising and lowering arms to be suspended therefrom, and releaseable means for holding the rock arms in an upwardly swung position, said arms and applied mat dropping by gravity uponrelease of said holding means, said rock arms being in adjustably connected sections to facilitate longitudinally adjusting said rock arms as to length, the said means for holding the rock arms in upwardly swung position also providing means for raising such arms.

5. An emergency apparatus for closing a rent in a ship hull, comprising means forming a track extending lengthwise of the hull above the water line and upon the side thereof, a supporting structure connected with said track for movement thereon lengthwise of the hull, a pair of arms each pivotally connected to the upper part of said structure for oscillation on an axis extending lengthwise of the hull, a second pair of arms pivotally secured at one end to the lower part of the structure for oscillation on an axis substantially paralleling the first mentioned axis, a pair of substantially vertically disposed arms each pivotally connected between the outer ends of adjacent upper and lower ones of the first mentioned arms, a breach mat constructed to be positioned between the horizontally faced pairs of the first arms and the upright arms, and a flexible suspension means coupling the upper part of the breach mat with said vertical arms whereby the breach mat will be suspended from the vertical arms to be raised and lowered therewith.

6. In an apparatus of the character stated in claim 5, a spacer supported horizontally between and maintaining in spaced relation the lower ends of the said upright arms, said spacer extending across the outer side of the breach mat.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, with means forming a part of the connection between the supporting structure and said track facilitating the vertical movement of the supporting structure upon the track.

WILLIAM P. DICKEY. 

